Former Nurse Faces Manslaughter Charges

Posted By Stephen Stewart || 3-Sep-2014

A woman who was previously a nurse has been convicted of aggravated assault
and manslaughter for a car accident that happened in Texas in February
2012. The woman had been hospitalized the day before the accident for
having a seizure. She was given morphine and Percocet at the hospital
and was released via cab the following day. Prosecutors in the case alleged
that she asked the cab driver to drop her off in a parking lot where she
had left her SUV. She reportedly took four times her outpatient dose of
pain medication before continuing to operate her vehicle.

The woman's SUV crashed into a grocery store, killing one person and
seriously injuring another. Prosecutors stated that, as a former nurse,
the woman should have known better than to drive while on high doses of
pain medication.

Defense attorneys argued that the morphine dose was at its highest while
the woman was in the cab and that the hospital should not have released
her when the medication was so strong. The woman faces up to 20 years
in prison for each offense, though the sentencing phase of the trial was
not yet complete at the time of the report.

When a person is killed as the result of another person's negligence,
it can be devastating for the family of the deceased. Emotional turmoil
can be trying, and the financial fallout from an unexpected death also
can be exhausting and pose significant challenges. For families struggling
with medical and funeral costs tied to a death following a
car accident, it may be helpful to talk to a lawyer about the possibility of pursuing
a settlement. An Austin wrongful death lawyer may be able to discuss options
with the family of the deceased, and if a settlement is awarded, it may
be able to help offset costs.